This invention relates to an automobile steering lock, particularly to one having a handy but sophisticated structure capable to protect the steering wheel of an automobile from being unlocked or sawed off and thus preventing the automobile from being stolen.
A known first conventional automobile steering lock shown in FIG. 1 includes a lock member A1, a tubular member A2, and a rod member A3. The rod member A3 extends through a through hole A11 of the lock member A1 and in the tubular member A2 so as to telescope in the tubular member A2. The rod member A3 has a plurality of annular grooves A31 to engage with a locking means A12 of the lock member. The rod member A3 has a hook A32 formed at one end to hook one side of the steering wheel A4. Then the lock member A1 locks the other side of the steering wheel A4, with the tubular member A2 extending out of the steering wheel A4 so that the tubular member A2 may be stopped by the windshield or the body of a driver if the steering wheel should be rotated, preventing the steering wheel from rotated and consequently the automobile from being stolen.
The first known conventional automobile steering lock has the following disadvantages.
1. It is not handy. It functions to lock the steering wheel of an automobile by the rod member A3, the lock member A1 and the tubular member A2, and the tubular member A2 has to have a length enough to be stopped by the windshield, resulting in a heavy weight of the automobile steering lock, not easily handled.
2. It has an inferior anti-theft function. As long as the lock member A1 is sawed off the steering wheel shown in FIG. 1, it is easily taken off the steering wheel. Or the steering wheel together with it is taken off by unscrewing the steering wheel, and then a new steering wheel without an automobile steering lock is newly screwed on to steal the automobile.
3. It cannot protect the steering wheel A4 of an automobile from being taken off by means of the rod member A3 so that a safety air sack may be easily stolen to result in a loss to the owner.
A second known conventional automobile steering lock shown in FIG. 2 includes an engage plate device B2 consisting of a plate member B21, a hook B22, an engage member B23 respectively provided under two opposite sides of the plate member B21, a hollow guide member B24 provided on a front upper side of the plate member A21 for an actuating rod B4 to penetrate in, and a block plate pivotally connected with a lengthwise side of the plate member B21. Then the engage plate device B2 is locked (or engaged) on the steering wheel of an automobile with the block plate blocking the steering wheel and with the activating rod B4 freely extending in the hollow guide member B24 and with the lock member locking the steering wheel in its place, preventing the steering wheel from being sawed off. But in order to permit the hook B22 and the engage member B23 respectively to engage two opposite sides of the steering wheel, the plate member B21 has to have a length enough to result in a heavy weight of the steering lock. And the activating rod B4 also has to have a length comparatively long to increase the weight of the steering lock to let the lock not be so easily handled.
An automobile steering lock in the present invention has been devised to include a protective plate to be covered on the steering wheel of an automobile, a lock member fixed on a side of the protective plate to be locked and unlocked with a key, a projection provided on a lower portion of the lock member, a block plate pivotally connected with a side of the protective plate to rotate for an angle to block the steering wheel, and an activating rod having a tubular portion to align and fit around the lower portion of the lock member so as to let the projection of the lower portion engage the inner annular groove to lock the lock member.